Improvement in ball-screws for fire-arms



a J. J. ALISES.

Ball-Screw for Fire-Arm.

No. 44,586. Patented Oct. 11.1864.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. ALISOS, OF WVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BALL-SCREWS FOR FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,586, dated October11, 1864.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN J. ALIscs, ofWashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Ball-Screws for Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is an edge View of my invention attached to a musket-ball. Fig.2 is a side view of the same. Figs.- 3 and 7 are end views of the same.Fig. 4 is an edge view of my invention attached to a Miui ball. Fig. 5is a side view of a detached portion of my invention. Fig. 6 is an edgeview of the same. Fig. 7 is an end view of the same.

The invention consists of a pair of steel nippers' projecting from ametal tube of a diameter somewhat smaller than that of the gun it isintended to fit. At their lower ends these nippers are gouge-shaped, sothat they may fit closely around the ball to which they may be applied,and at their lower opposite corners they are provided with a peak orhorn, which is so inclined that when a slight turning motion is given tothe hammer (to which the tube at the upper end of the nippers is securedwhen they are to be used) each of the said horns will be forced into theball, and thus a firm hold will be obtained upon it. The gouges at thelower ends of the nippers are also intended to subserve the importantpurpose of removing the inerustations which invariably foul the interiorof a gun-barrel after several discharges, insomuch that in battles gunsoften become entirely useless until cleaned, which can be very quicklyand effect ually performed by the use of these gouges.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A'A represent the nippers, each of which may be two inches in length,one-fourth of an inch at its widest part, and somewhat less at itsnarrowest part, as shown in Fig. 11. Each nipper also varies inthickness, being thickest at its upper end and gradually taperingtherefrom. The object of these variations in width and thickness is thatthe nippers may have sufficient elasticity.

B B represent the gouges; O O, the horns or prongs. These gouges are tobe made blunt at their corners and edges, so that when used to clean agun they may not cut away any portion of its interior,whereas the hornsor prongs should be sharp, so that they may readily penetrate the ballto which they may be applied. At the same time they should besufficiently bent inward to prevent them from marring the interior ofthe barrel.

The tube from which the nippers project is provided with a female screw.Upon the little end of the rammer there should be a male screw ofcorresponding size, so as to allow the nippers to be firmly fastenedupon the rammer when they are to be used. The spread of the nippersshould be a little greater than the bore, so that when they areintroduced therein the gouges may fit closely to the interior surface ofthe barrel, and when forced to the bottom thereof effectually removewhatever foulness may have collected thereon.

'When it is desired to remove the charge, the gouges should be forceddown to a close embrace of the ball, when, by means of the usualcross-bar inserted in the head of the rammer, the horns or prongs may beturned into the ball, so as to secure a very firm hold, by means ofwhich the ball can be withdrawn the more easily, from the fact that thefoulness, which forms a serious obstacle to the withdrawal of the ball,has been previously removed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The nippers A A and gouges B B, in combination with the horns O O,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WM. J. ALISCS.

Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, MAYO M. LILLY.

